Which pilot books for Western Med?

[Kelpie]

We plan to spend next season cruising from our current location (Algarve) as far as Sardinia and then back again, and on to Madeira and beyond.

I'm wondering just how nuts to go on pilot books. I could easily spend £200+ to cover the area in question, but there is a degree of overlap and I may not visit every area. I don't plan to spend more than one season in this area.

I've found, since leaving the UK, that the user generated notes on Navionics are actually very helpful, and at times more up to date than the relevant pilot. But I do like a pilot book, it's the format that I'm used to.

What about the Med Almanac? Worth having?

 

[KompetentKrew]

If you're in Bruce's then feel free to pop over and browse my selection:

Some of them are probably over 20 years old (inherited with the boat), but they might help you assess what coverage you need.

 

[Ningaloo]

Although I also have a selection of second hand pilot books I hardly used them on my 5 month trip from UK to Sardinia.
I relied on Navily which has peer reviews much more up to date than any printed materials.
Cost - £0.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We have a set of books and the last time any been open was several years back,
Charts can tell you most stuff, then there Noforeignland and Navily, Noforeiginland writing by cruising for cruisers where you actually chat to another cruiser who anchored at a spot where your going, it beats any books.
Med sailing Forum as a whole wealth of info and you very soon learn who as knowledge of what areas,
If really want to spend money on a book to hold then for where you said you thinking of cruising I go for Italian waters and Mediterranean Spain .
merry Christmas.

 

[KompetentKrew]

We have a set of books and the last time any been open was several years back,

I really like them for destination-planning while underway. You can keep the book in the cockpit and it's easier than wrestling with spotty internet.

 

[westernman]

You should certainly get a Bloc Marine Mediterranee. Available from most chandlers in France, Spain and probably many other places.

BLOC MARINE Méditerranée 2022 - Documents de navigation - BigShip Accastillage - Accessoires pour bateaux

This is the full version. Get that and not the cut down "Cotier" version.

It will contain almost everything you need except the names of good restaurants.

In fact with that you could even get away without any additional charts (it has charts inside marked not for navigation).

You might find the Chartkits interesting as well. There is a whole series covering in detail various bits of coast around France and Spain.

carte marine Le Chartkit Navicarte regroupe dans une pochette plast...

 

[sailaboutvic]

I really like them for destination-planning while underway. You can keep the book in the cockpit and it's easier than wrestling with spotty internet.

Yea agree some do like them for planning others just like having books rather then toll then net.
Mine just sit there for show now collecting dust although now I have them I like to keep them, just like I keep the rolls of charts some dated back over 40 years.
I always said the day I move dack on land I will wall paper a room with them.
Anyway
Personally when going some where I never been before going I start off with taken copy's of Google earth photo, I back that up with looking at the chart.
Noforeignland tend to have some kind of report from others cruisers that been there not too long ago and you maybe lucky to chat to someone who there at that time , bit like a real time pilot.
This year I had no less then 8 cruisers contact me while at anchor asking for info about the anchorages and local restrictions.
Then there the Med sailing site , a bit like here but without the armchair sailors and much less aggressive argument probably because the reply are coming from people who are and have been to tho spots and not from people googling stuff up then arguing with others when people correct them.
I say to the OP , if you want to spend money on pilots book then do so I also say you probably spend time going through them when you first have them and on the odd occasion pull one out but the rest of the time they sit there,
Bit like toys as a kid.
The question wasn't asked but if it was ( do I need pilot books) the answer is NO.

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks all. I wasn't really asking "do I need pilot books", I've been using pilot books for the 12yrs+ that I have been cruising. On home turf they make perfect sense, easily worth every penny.
I'm not too bothered about finding out about restaurants, chandlers, or even just marinas. That information is all readily available elsewhere. But I do really like pilot books when it comes to scoping out anchorages. I like being able to quickly flick through and compare different options, and find that much less handy on an app or website.

I was just looking to economise a bit and wondering about cutting a few books out for the area I'm about to cruise. E.g. if any of the specific books for the Western Med are a bit unnecessary.
I'm tempted not to bother with one for Med Spain, since that looks like it's mostly marinas anyway, at least until you get to towards France?

Maybe get Corsica and Sardinia, to get info on anchorages there. Maybe also Balearics?

Vic- do you have a link for the Med forum?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Thanks all. I wasn't really asking "do I need pilot books", I've been using pilot books for the 12yrs+ that I have been cruising. On home turf they make perfect sense, easily worth every penny.
I'm not too bothered about finding out about restaurants, chandlers, or even just marinas. That information is all readily available elsewhere. But I do really like pilot books when it comes to scoping out anchorages. I like being able to quickly flick through and compare different options, and find that much less handy on an app or website.

I was just looking to economise a bit and wondering about cutting a few books out for the area I'm about to cruise. E.g. if any of the specific books for the Western Med are a bit unnecessary.
I'm tempted not to bother with one for Med Spain, since that looks like it's mostly marinas anyway, at least until you get to towards France?

Maybe get Corsica and Sardinia, to get info on anchorages there. Maybe also Balearics?

Vic- do you have a link for the Med forum?

Med sailing is a FB group now before you say , oh no not FB , since Chris started it who I personally know from some years back it has over 10 thousand members right across the Med .
The other site I recommend is Noforeignland it started by anther Cruiser I know Steve again it was started for the Med but now it spread all over the World including the UK again thousands of members .
Once a member you can see what boat is where and you can contact that boat , you won't always get a reply but most do , it's also a great way to met other sailors .
Just Google Noforeignland or on FB Med sailing.
Just take a look if it's not for you you can always leave.

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks, I'm already on NoForeignLand, need to explore it a bit more.

 

[Kelpie]

You should certainly get a Bloc Marine Mediterranee. Available from most chandlers in France, Spain and probably many other places.

BLOC MARINE Méditerranée 2022 - Documents de navigation - BigShip Accastillage - Accessoires pour bateaux

This is the full version. Get that and not the cut down "Cotier" version.

It will contain almost everything you need except the names of good restaurants.

In fact with that you could even get away without any additional charts (it has charts inside marked not for navigation).

You might find the Chartkits interesting as well. There is a whole series covering in detail various bits of coast around France and Spain.

carte marine Le Chartkit Navicarte regroupe dans une pochette plast...

Merci, mais ma Français n'est pas tres bon, est c'est ce aussi en Anglais?

 

[westernman]

Merci, mais ma Français n'est pas tres bon, est c'est ce aussi en Anglais?

It is in French and English.

French and english language book.

A true bible for pleasure boating, the Bloc Marine provides precise information, updated each year, on port areas, safety at sea and regulations. It also includes a logbook, harbour maps in WGS84, a light log, tides and a complete atlas. Essential for the preparation of your cruises and stopovers, the Marine Block meets the regulatory requirements in terms of compulsory documents to be held on board the boat.

Once again this year, special care has been taken with the photos, many of which have been enhanced with information and pictograms to make your stopovers easier.

The Special Section of this 2021 edition of Bloc Marine deals with "New technologies" and offers an overview of the new instruments, equipment and services available to you to make your sailing even safer and more enjoyable.

On the programme for this 2021 edition:

the updating of the port sheets, maps and atlas charts,
an update of the regulations,
a special section devoted to new technologies: electronics - equipment - home automation
and even more photos enriched with information.

 

[Yngmar]

Found the books mostly useful, but often out of date (even having the latest) or overly cautious. The "Islas Baleares" RCCPF one stood out as being vastly more useful than the others, as it was focused on anchoring around the islands, while most of the other pilot books seemed to focus on going into marinas and the occasional port and scarcely mentioned anchorages. Of course that's partially also the landscape's fault, as there just aren't many anchorages along the Costa del Sol for example.

We always mixed in Navily and Navionics comments, which were often useful, although equally often wrong or outright silly (some people having a bad experience at a restaurant ashore and giving the anchorage a 1 star rating for it).

Would pick up a few used books from Marina swaps and not bother buying the latest and then get the rest of the information from online sources and asking other cruisers. NoForeignLand is getting more and more usefull comments too.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I'm tempted not to bother with one for Med Spain, since that looks like it's mostly marinas anyway, at least until you get to towards France?

Browsing east of Gibraltar, Explore.Imray.com shows a few anchorages - Cala Sardina near Puerto Sotogrande and Fondeadero de Estepona are the first.

The notes mention anchorages outside the marinas at Puerto de la Duquesa, Puerto José Banús, Marbella and Puerto de Fuengirola. Holding is described as poor outside Puerto Cabo Pino.

I think all of these are from Pickard's RCC Mediterranean Spain book.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Found the books mostly useful, but often out of date (even having the latest) or overly cautious. The "Islas Baleares" RCCPF one stood out as being vastly more useful than the others, as it was focused on anchoring around the islands, while most of the other pilot books seemed to focus on going into marinas and the occasional port and scarcely mentioned anchorages. Of course that's partially also the landscape's fault, as there just aren't many anchorages along the Costa del Sol for example.

We always mixed in Navily and Navionics comments, which were often useful, although equally often wrong or outright silly (some people having a bad experience at a restaurant ashore and giving the anchorage a 1 star rating for it).

Would pick up a few used books from Marina swaps and not bother buying the latest and then get the rest of the information from online sources and asking other cruisers. NoForeignLand is getting more and more usefull comments too.

I personally say noforeignland as much more info and more accurate then navily , Navily started off as a way for people to book marinas and clawing commission but now they given that part up, also a lot of there info is from pilot books and internet and lots out of dated .
Any way if you have 5mins and passing by , can you just check on the boat please ,
More the dinghy cover on the for deck,
we should be back in a few weeks.

 

[Kelpie]

I've just reinstalled the CAptain's Mate app and got it working properly. Looks very good. Also been reading JimB's website which has a lot of good info.

I know it's early days but I'm wondering how this season will unfold. Everything I hear about high season in the Western Med is a bit terrifying. I come from somewhere so quiet that we think Oban is a city. In a three week cruise I'll usually have each anchorage to myself. Even the Algarve in October felt very busy to me.
It's tempting to just go as far as the Balearics and then start heading west again... lose a few weeks in the Guadiana... then really do Madeira and the Canaries justice towards the end of the year...

 

[Goldie]

[QUOTE It's tempting to just go as far as the Balearics and then start heading west again... [/QUOTE]

We did that from the Algarve this year. There are beautiful places to visit (Cuitadella, Addaya and Cartagena were highlights) but be warned, it is VERY busy and VERY noisy in the islands in the high season so avoid that if you can. Even the quietest anchorages were full of (mainly chartered) boats for whom every night was party night until well into the not so early hours. We loved the area, but try to visit outside high season if you have any hopes of a decent night’s sleep.

 

[Kelpie]

We did that from the Algarve this year. There are beautiful places to visit (Cuitadella, Addaya and Cartagena were highlights) but be warned, it is VERY busy and VERY noisy in the islands in the high season so avoid that if you can. Even the quietest anchorages were full of (mainly chartered) boats for whom every night was party night until well into the not so early hours. We loved the area, but try to visit outside high season if you have any hopes of a decent night’s sleep.

Thanks. Roughly when should we be looking to get out of there? End of June?

 

[Goldie]

I would certainly hope that that would certainly be better than later. Our timings were constrained for other reasons but we were there July and August and we expected it to be busy but we were disgusted by behaviours we experienced. I would think May/June would be much, much better. We hope to be cruising earlier next year, and maybe heading for Sardinia and/or Corsica before retiring West. Perhaps see you somewhere!

 

[Roberto]

Everything I hear about high season in the Western Med is a bit terrifying. I come from somewhere so quiet that we think Oban is a city. In a three week cruise I'll usually have each anchorage to myself. Even the Algarve in October felt very busy to me.

Hello Kelpie,
with that kind of preferences, or priorities, I would definitely not go in the Mediterranean.
I have sailed Yugoslavia during Tito period and Balkans war, Turkey/Greece when Preveza did not exist (like it is today), Marmaris had just a handful of boats on a depleted concrete quay, Bodrum just the anchorage somewhere down around the castle, likewise Balearics and other places; I have similar preferences to yours and about 15-20 years ago I decided to keep my best memories and don't go there again. Surely very beautiful cruising areas, but forget about anything " for yourself". Also, it's not only being by one self, but when a lot of other boats are around they will be anchored near perhaps too near you, there will be excitement during suddenly windy nights, drunk people concerts etc etc, the following morning bath in warm crystal clear waters might let you forget everything and enjoy, or possibly not.